The Paolites earned the right to play in the quarter finals against Birkirkara after a deserved win against Pieta H who had three regulars missing through injury. Hibs created more occasions than Pieta throughout the whole 80 minutes.

Hibs were the first to threaten and after Elkien Cauchi was fouled on the left flank close to the area the resultant freekick shot by Triston Caruana was cleared to a corner and Matthew Gauci served Elkien Cauchi on the left flank, the latter’s cross was partially saved by Pieta keeper Ryan Cilia and a defender cleared the ball to safety, from the same clearance, Dylan Mousu served Rendell Refalo in the area and Hibs keeper Daniel Balzan partially saved his shot and the ball was somehow cleared. The Paolites kept insisting and Sammy Piscopo served Gauci in the area and Cilia had to turn his shot to a corner and from the flagkick by Caruana a header by Elkien Cauchi missed the upright by inches. In a Pieta counter-attack Mousu put Nathan Busuttil through but Balzan easily saved his long range shot, and after this action, Hibs dominated the proceedings until the half-time whistle.

Piscopo served Nathaniel Ebejer in the area and Cilia managed to get his finger tips to the ball and turning the ball to corner and the referee, for a reason known only to himself signalled for a goal kick. After a solo run down the left flank by Elkien Cauchi, his perfect cross found no takers to apply the killer touch and moments later he executed another perfect cross and Pieta defender Silvio Consoli cleared to corner and from the flagkick by Triston Cauchi, Ismael Grech cleared the ball to a throw-in.

The Paolites resumed their pressure after restart. Jonathan Xerri served Gauci in the area but Pieta keeper Ryan Cilia foiled him with a timely sortie, the same player again served Gauci in the area who in turn square-passed to Piscopo who drove out from a very ideal position, Caruana then served Xerri in the area but he drove out from two metres with only Cilia to beat.

Pieta reacted and created two actions in succession. Nathan Busuttil crossed from the right to Rendell Refalo but Paola keeper Daniel Balzan saved his shot from outside the area and Refalo then served substitute Alexandrov with a through ball on the left flank and the latter’s cross was cleared to a corner.

In the 62nd minute Paola scored what proved to be the winning goal through Xerri after he was put through in the area by the hard-working Elkien Cauchi. Three minutes from the end Pieta were reduced to ten men as substitute Wayne Grech was shown the red card for pushing Xerri in an off-the-ball incident. In a last fling by Pieta, Refalo square-passed to Alexandrov and Balzan had to stretch full length to save to corner and a minute into added time Christopher McKay crossed from the left to Ismael Grech and the ball was cleared on the line from the latter’s shot.

Referee:Fyodor Zammit

Player of the match:Elkien Cauchi (Paola H)

APS Bank U/14 Section B

Marsaxlokk 1

Attard 1

Very few were the actions worthy of note throughout the whole 60 minutes of play. Shots at goal were also very few and both keepers were not really troubled. Neither side dominated the other and a draw was very fair result.

The first threat came from Marsaxlokk as Gary Caruana served Manuel Caruana with a through ball on the right flank and from the latter’s cross the ball was cleared to a corner. In Attard’s first real attack they opened the score. Dean Agius won a loose ball in Marsaxlokk’s half and he set Robert Fenech through in the area who shot past Marsaxlokk keeper Matthew Bugeja beating him with a hard grounder. Two minutes later the woodwork denied Marsaxlokk. Darren Attard crossed from the right to Emerson Abela who was standing on the edge of the area and from his first-timer the ball thumped the bar with Attard keeper Gabriel Borg completely beaten but the ball was somehow cleared, Borg then saved a rebound shot by Darren Attard after a dangerous cross from the right by Kristov Cassar was partially cleared.

The first action after restart came from Attard. A well-taken corner kick by Jean Claude Cachia was cleared to another corner, at the other end, Kristov Cassar floated a perfect ball in Attard’s area from a freekick but Stefan Cutajar was seconds late to apply the killer touch with only keeper Gabriel Borg to beat, but in their next attack they levelled matters. Paul Paris served Christopher Grech with a through ball on the edge of the area and as the Attard keeper came out of his charge to foil him from concluding he handled the ball outside the area, which earned him a yellow card, and Darren Attard scored with a rising shot from the resultant direct freekick. After this goal Marsaxlokk threatened again when Grech served substitute Colin Farrugia with a perfect through pass and Borg had to come out of his charge and kick the ball away to safety. The last action before the end also came from Marsaxlokk as Manuel Caruana served Grech with a through pass in the area but this time Borg foiled him with a timely sortie.

Referee:Philip Farrugi

Player of the match: Kristov Cassar (Marsaxlokk)

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